street racer or cruiser?

Question

I want to buy a bike but cant make up my mind part of me wants a cruiser i.e Honda shadow (bit like harley D but cheaper), my mates think i should get a street racer type bike i.e Fireblade, ZZR etc anythoughts? Street racers bit uncomfortable after miles?

Answer 1

Something not covered in abbreviations and graphics, anyday. I think that rules out most modern big bikes!

Answer 2

Sounds like you're new to bikes. Did I guess right? If I've guessed wrong, feel free to ignore my next paragraph.

Honda's 750 cc and under line of Shadows are fairly newbie-friendly. The sport bikes you mentioned both have easily enough power to move a small car and have very grabby brakes - they're best for someone who has at least a year of riding experience. There are some beginner friendly sportbikes out there, though - check out the Kawasaki Ninja 250 and 500, or the Suzuki GS500. You'll want to take a class like the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's BRC - that'll give you some good instruction on riding and a bit of experience on motorcycles. You may also learn a bit about what riding positions you find comfortable or uncomfortable.

Comfort depends on the person. Most people find race-replica sport bikes uncomfortable, but the less extreme sport bikes are a bit more comfortable for some riders. I myself do not find cruisers to be comfortable, but I know guys who have ridden halfway across the country on them. The best way to find out what kind of bike fits you best is to go to a local dealer and sit on a lot of bikes.

I'd start out with something cheap. Don't be afraid of buying a small bike that you may outgrow later - many riders decide after a year of riding that they would be happier with a different style of bike, and small cheap bikes are easy to sell if that should happen. Often you'll be able to sell it for what you paid for it.

It's not all that realistic to know just what you want so early in the game - after you've had a bike for a few months you may find yourself wishing you had a bike that was better for commuting, or long trips, or canyon carving. Right now you may not know what style of riding is your favorite or what you want on your ideal bike - that's normal. When I started riding, I didn't realize how much I would appreciate a luggage rack, for example.

Answer 3

Cruiser any day of the week and twice on Sunday! Sport bike (ie Crotch-Rockets) are for idiots who want to race around and get killed cause they don't know how to ride and die without helmets on. Don't waste your money on a HD, because they are overpriced and suck balls. Get a nice Honda or Suzuki, they have great deals on the 05' cause the 06 are coming out and they rarely change ANYTHING on the body or engine from 1 year to the next. Or, if you like actually doing some arrands with your bike, get a Suzuki burgman 400/650 and get the best of both worlds!

Answer 4

Think about what you are going to be using the bike for..... doing some long rides or just 'bar hopping'.
Cruisers are built for long rides. Sportbikes are not very comfortable for much over 20 or so miles. How long can you ride in a bent over position with your weight mainly on your arms?
I ride an 1100 Shadow. I go on long trips that mean 8 or more hours on the bike per day. I couldn't do that with a sportbike-my back and wrists/shoulders would not handle carrying most of my weight like that for that long.
If you are a new rider-whatever you get DON'T try to keep up with your pals if they decide to ride to the edge of their skills. "Ride your own ride" Too many new riders crash trying to keep up with experienced riders.
Make sure your bike is one you can straddle with both feet flat on the ground. If you are tip toe or only on one foot you are at risk for falling over when you are stopping. That's embarrassing and costs you to replace broken signal lights and fix scrapes on the paint.
Don't buy a brand new one. There are 2 sorts of bikes- those dropped and going to be dropped. Get something to gain experience on that won't hurt your feelings or wallet when it gets dropped. Would you buy a brand new car for a learning driver or get a second hand car for them to ding up and learn on?
Go sit on alot of bikes at the dealers, see what feels like 'home' when you park your butt on it. Forget your friends' idea of what is cool/hot. Get what YOU like and are comfortable on!
New rider? Try a Suzuki 800 Intruder (Boulevard, they now call them) The Shadow 750 is a good size also. That size range will carry you anywhere you want and do it at highway speeds without stressing the motor or you. I know quite a few folks who have stuck with that size even after they had enough experience to upgrade to a larger bike.
No matter what style you buy-- get into a MSF class. It will save your life!

Answer 5

Depends what you are in to really. But until you can afford a real cruiser ie the H.D. then get a fireblade or even better an R1

Answer 6

How long do you want to live? a fireblade is an excellent bike and boy can they shift, ask yourself..... CAN YOU HANDLE IT?
Any way there seems to be a renaissance of harley style/ american bikes which are petty cool!!!

Answer 7

Look at some of the japanese makes that have de-tuned some of their rice rocket engines for ridability, and built street/cruiser/all-purpose bikes with em...Kawasaki builds the Concours, at least they did, that was kind of in-between, more for cruising but still had some power if u needed it...

Answer 8

Just purchased used 2000 honda shadow last week laid out with plenty of chrome, and custom pipes. i still have a kawasaki KZ750, but it, in no way! compares to the shadow. best one is the honda by far! my advice is stick with looks and comfort. and the honda VT750 ace (shadow) is all you need! hard to tell from a harley. check them out...you won't be sorry!

Answer 9

depends what sort of riding style suits you a cruiser is cheaper to insure and help keep your liciense longer try both only then you can make your mind up.try a naked retro bike that is the best of both worlds

Answer 10

something like a CBR 600 would be a better compromise or the last of the VFR 750's.
Either that or go for the ducati monster